Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-05
"1ow do YOU know he was a maior,''

IlbW ut Nou htfow iS WAS u uldJDE!
$50 his men called him. We met the
Confederates half way, bearing their dead
to them. When this body was shown to
them. several cried out, oh, this is our
majorr Then they mourned over him
and praised him. They We're Georgians ="
Grady was now fully convinced of the
identity Of this hero. and he had spent all
the intervening years since the war to
clear up the mystery which my story had
made plain. His interest in Gorj"n's
unique battle is absC~hinS and pathetic,
for his father was major and a follower
Of Gorden. In this fight Maj. Grady was
the brnvest of the brave, but all that
could he learned from his surviving com
rades WAS that he had started from Fort
Steadman 10 attempt to silence that gun
in Fort Haskell which controlled their
meager avenue of retreat. In the con
fusion Of that hour all sight Of him had
been lost, and in the confusion of that
startling campaign which Gordon's morn
ing fight had unintentionally opened-the
campaign Of Petersburg, Five Forks and
AppomattoN rapidly ensuing compan-
ions, friends and followers Of the dead
major had fallcr, So that all the men com
posing *the Ha.kell storming parties Of
-htstE -. anu All TttOTuS Oh tHelr IttuS,
had been wiped ont forever.
Grady's own story of the romance Of
his life, beginning with this forlorn hope
of Gordon's, was no less strange than
that had told of the battlefield.
when the Georgians came back from
Appomattcx went to find my fathers
veterans and get their account Of his
death. But could not find the men he
l. 81. la,- Al.
fight had been killed In the subsequent
battles. At last Went to Gordon alone
and friendleSs, and we advertised all over
the south for some Of those men who had
gone on the charge toward Fort HASKELL
but we received no response in all these
Years, and believe that the men are dead
But found friend in Gordon who has
been father To his soldiers orphan. He
gave me a start in the world, and all
through his distinguished career from that
time he has been my friend, adviser and
helper. And now that you have given
me the story of the Georgia majors death,
if you can point TO me his burial spot my
sad search Of twenty-one years will be
ended
1t happened that was placed in charge
of the detail TO gather up the dead and
Clear our lines 1pr 1urtnef action aftcr
that exciting affray, and knew soldier
who was in New York on the occasion of
my interview with these southerners, who
had carried the dead major under flag of
truce and delivered HIM to his friends
From him l learned that the men with
the body had been seen to move away in
procession toward the Petersburg ceme-
terry. within Lees lines.
WAS any name spoken when you
handed the body to the Georgia soldiersw
| inquired.
YES" was the ready answer, ''and l
it distinctly for years" The
veteran then called over several names
similar in sound to that borne by the
young Georgian.
Gould il have been Grady"
That's it exactly! Major Grady
and deadr was the exclamation his sol
iiers made as soon As they saw him at
some yards distance. They made fuss
over him.
And no wonder, for he was hero
George l.. kilmer in New York Mail and
Express.